Our History
Three decades of action for the ocean.
Think Ocean did not begin with plastic. It began with a group of people who refused to accept that the ocean's problems were someone else's to solve.
Environmentalist roots
In 1992, a group of environmentalists united several organisations behind a shared goal: ending commercial whale hunting in the South Pacific. That collective effort contributed to the establishment of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary — a landmark protection for the region's whale populations.
A widening remit
Founding members continued working on environmental causes worldwide — establishing a wildlife rescue centre in response to an El Niño emergency in the Pacific, and supporting organisations tackling deforestation, wildlife trafficking, conservation, and the adoption of the CITES treaty across Latin America.
From awareness to action
Seeing the scale of plastic pollution flowing from the world's rivers into its oceans, founding member Hugo Valdes-Vera formed Think Ocean in the United Kingdom to confront the plastic crisis directly. He was later joined by Noleen Mariappen, and together they form the founding team of Think Ocean CIC.
An EU Horizon Mission partner
Think Ocean is a project partner in the European Commission's Horizon Mission to restore our oceans and waters by 2030 — developing technology to stop plastic at its source, alongside a portfolio of regeneration, education, and community programmes across the world. The work continues, and the mission is far from finished.